Electrical conductor-grip.



R. B. BENJAMIN. ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR GRIP. APPLIOA TION'IILED JAN. 30, 1908. RENEWED 110v. a, 1911.

1,012,971. 1 Patnted 1160.26, 1911.

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To all whom it 'may .a citizen of the UNITED? diATES rnrnnr orator.-

MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORr-GRIP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

Application filed, January 30, 1908, Serial No.- 413,433. Renewed November 8, 1911. Serial No. 659,250.

concern: Be it known that I, REUBEN B. BENJAMIN, United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Imrovements in Electrical Conductor-Grips, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to such as incandescent lamp ment plugs, pertains more particularly to improved means for gripping the electrical conductors connected therewith.

In electrical devices of the class above mentioned, the conductors connected therewith are often subjected to strains which tend to loosen them from the binding terminals to which they are secured, as, for instance, where they form the means for sus= pending the electrical device. safe, under these conditions, to rely upon the connection of the conductors with the electrical binding posts, it becomes desirable to provide auxiliary means for securing firm mechanical attachment.

It has become quite common to knot or twist the conductors inside the device to pre vent withdrawal of the same through the opening provided therefor, thus relieving the electrical connection of any excessive strains, but this method has interfered with attempts to secure a compact construction and a good appearance for the electrical device.

It is the object of my invention to provide a conductor grip which will not add unneces sary bulk to the structure in which it is employed, which will be of simple construction, and which will admit of the ready and convenient release of the conductors when it is electrical devices sockets, attachdesired. tov disconnect the same from the binding posts of the device.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 illustrates, in elevation arl partial section, an attachment plug embodying the features of rnv invention Fi '2 illustrates in elevation section, a current tap device emand partial bodyi the features or my invention; 1: 1g. the line 3-3 of L12, 3 is a sectional view taken on Fig. 2, loolnng in the direction indicated by current taps and the like and As it is un- 4 is a partial sectional view taken on the hue 4-4: of Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; Fig. 5 illustrates, in elevation and partial section, an incandescent electric lamp receptacle embodying the features of my invention, and more particularly, a slight modification therein; and Fig. 6 is a plan view of the de vice shown in Fig. 5, parts being removed to reveal the hidden construction. 4

Referring to Fig. 1, I have illustrated an attachment plug having an insulating base 10, one end of which is surrounded by the shoulder flange 11 of the longitudinally extending threaded sleeve 12. A threaded contact shell 13 surrounds the insulating base 10 and is provided with a portion 14 of decreased diameter which engages over the shoulder 15 of the threaded sleeve 12. A ring16 of insulating material is secured to the threaded shell 12 to facilitate its manipulation and a cap 17, preferably of insulating material, has threaded engagement with the sleeve 12 and encounters the insulating ring 16 to retain the same in place as illustrated in the drawings. This constructionas just described, admits of the free rotation of the threaded shell 13 upon the insulating base 10 and eliminates the necessity of twisting the electrical conductors 18, leading from the binding terminals carried by the base 10, when the attachment plug is screwed into a socket fixture. It is apparent that the electrical conductors 18, 18 may be frequently subjected to severe strains and it is desirable therefore to provide gripping means to protect the electrical connections. The mere attachment of the conductor wires to the electrical binding posts cannot be relied upon to meet abnormal strains, and if no auxiliary gripping means were provided, breaks and short circuits would frequently occur. My invention is directed particularly toward the provision of means for securing this additional safe guard.

the arrows; Fig

Broadly the principal feature of my invention consists in a member interposed between the conductors tending to l spread same apart and a second member disposed immediately proximate thereto tem'ling to draw the conductors together. T he combination of these oppositely acting l tendencies serve to securely clamp the con- .ductors in place, and I embody this principle tors, I, have herein shown a disk of particular form which isprovided with oppositely disposed notches to accommodate the conductor wires. In Fig. 1, .I have illustrated this disk at 19 and its particular form is best illustrated in Fig. 4 which will be hereinafter more particularly referred to.- This is provided with the oppositely disposed notches 20, 20 which accommodate, respectively the conducting. wires 18, 18, and the periphery of the disk issuch that it mav be disposed within the threaded sleeve 12.

The disk 19-rests upon the insulating base l0 and .theconductors 18, 18, lead from the f base and pass through the notches 20, 20 on opposite, sides of'the interposed p0rtion'21. The cap17 which has threaded engagement with the sleeve 12, is provided with the central opening 22 through which the conductor wires 18, l8 may pass,-this opening being of such size, relatively to theinterposed portion 21 of the disk is screwed down firmly into the sleeve l'2,the conductors 18, 18 are drawn together immediately next the disk 19 so that they are forced into an offset, as at 23. The conductors are thus firmly clamped between the cap 17 and the disk 19, and the inwardly extending portions of the conductors are relieved of any strain applied to the outwardly extending portions thereof.

In Figs. 2, 3,1 and 4 I have illustrated a current tap receptacle and means for mak tions with an auxiliary circuit. The plug portion, similarly to the attachment plug, has the insulating base 10 upon which is rotatably mounted the threaded contactshell 13 with its insulating ring 16. The insulating base 10 carries the socket base 24, and upon this base are mounted the shell contact and the center contact which connect with the terminals of an incandescent lamp inserted in the socket. Binding terminals ing connec- 2o, 25 are carried by the base 24: and are suitably connected with the contact members of the socket and the plug. The conductors of the, auxiliary circuit are adapted to be connected to these binding posts. The base 24 is surrounded by the casing 26 held in place by the screws 26, and a suitable insulating lining 27 is interposed between the base and the casing. The casing is provided with a side opening 28 to conductors of the auxiliary circuit, and a laterally extending threz led sleeve 29. having a shoulder 30, leads from this opening and 1s flanged over at 31 to secure its rigid 19, that, when the cap 17 b comprising a plug and a lampaccommodate the into the sleeve 29, the be held rigidly in place, as has been described with reference to Fig. 1. The clampng member '34-is preferably constructed of insulating bushing for the. sleeve. 7

In Figs.'5 and 6 I broad feature of my nvention applied to a lamp receptacle, suspended by the conductors themselves, and'I have therein shown asIightmodification within the'scope of my invention. The

surrounded by a casing 37 having the insulating lining 37 This casing has the cap 38 remov'ably secured-thereto and this cap is provided with an opening 39 for the exit of the conductors l8, 18 leading from the binding terminals on the base. A screwthreaded sleeve 40 extends longitudinally from this opening. In this modification, instead of providing an auxiliary disk as in the hereinbefore described embodiment of my invention, I provide as, a member for separating the conductors, a boss 41 integral with the base 36 and properly disposed relative to the sleeve 40 as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. .The conductors 18, 18 are led from the terminals out of the device on opposite sides of thisboss and extend out through the opening 39 and the threaded sleeve 40. The insulating bushing or clamp.- ing member 34 has threaded engagement with the sleeve 40 and, when scre ed down in place, will clamp the conductor ires 18, 18 securely in position as has been before described with reference to the other forms of my invention.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. In an electrical device having binding terminals adapted to have lead conductors connected thereto, a spreading member, means for clamping the conductors against said spreading member, said spreading member and said clamping means'beingan ranged to distort the conductors when the i latter are clamped between them, and means means of the punched protubera is provided "with a central opening 35, and when this clamping member is screwed down conductors 18, 18 will such as are commonly" ase 36 of the receptacle carries the lamp,

from the binding terminals msulating material so that 1t may form an I have illustrated the v contacts and the blnding termin'alsandis' ing for the entrance for immovably supporting said spreading member at the side thereof opposite to said clamping means.

2. In an electrical device having an openof conductors, a threaded sleeve at said opening, a shoulder in said sleeve, .a spreading member disposed against said shoulder by which the conductors may pass, and a clamping ring threaded in said sleeve through which the conductors may pass.

3. In an electrical device having an opening for the entrance of conductors, a threaded sleeve at said opening, a shoulder in said sleeve, a spreading member disposed against said shoulder by which the conductors may pass, and a clamping member threaded in for the said sleeve and having an opening passage of the conductors, said opening being 05a diameter less than the width of that Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,

portion of the spreading member between said conductors plus the thickness of the conductors.

4. In an electrical device having an opena threading for the entrance of conductors, ed sleeve at said opening, a shoulder in said sleeve, a disk disposedagainst said shoulder and having notches therein to accommodate the conductors, and a clamping member threaded in said sleeve and having an opening therethrough for the passage of the conductors for clamping the conductors against said disk.

In. witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

REUBEN B. BENJAMIN. WVitnesses:

ARTHUR H Bcsq'rcrmn, C. L. HOPKINS.

by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

